God is kind

Sales like the ones below are how we have clothed our daughter for the past four years. (She got a lot of gifts and hand-me-downs that first year....although she has just recently started getting some good hand-me-downs again, which has been great.) After H outgrew the baby section at Target and I found she didn't fit the long and lanky clothes in the girls' section, I was in a panic. No more Target Clearance!?! What was I to do!?!?! Gratefully, God has shown me other options: Lands End Clearance, paired with free shipping. Earlier this week was simply awesome: Lands End Clearance PLUS 25% off everything PLUS free shipping. Oh, and I used Shortcuts.com, so I'll get 3% cash back as well. Oh, and I also (finally) signed up for Shop Your Way which gives me a tiny percentage toward future purchases. Again, Awesome.

Sure, I purchased clothes for her at the end of last summer, that I foolishly thought would make it to next fall (fall here is summer in Idaho). And these ones were serious splurges. Like $4.50 for a shirt. And $6 for a pair of shorts. ;) However, I'm finding myself needing to give in to her pleadings to let her wear half of them simply because she's going to outgrow them before summer even starts! :) I'm grateful that I didn't try to stock up more on jeans or other pants. She has one pair of jeans and one pair of khakis. She doesn't wear them. Period. Oh, wait, she wore them over Thanksgiving, but that was because I packed the clothes. She wears Dresses. Skirts. And sometimes, every now and then, she'll wear Shorts. Oh, although an exception is a very cute Hello Kitty outfit--long pants, long sleeves--that my German Sister sent her a year or so ago. I think it's the only thing long-sleeved that she's put on, of her own volition, in two months. Except her fleece pjs, that is. They don't come short-sleeved. I learned the hard way not to leave out summer clothes during the winter, just as I have learned the hard way not to leave clothes set aside for future seasons in H-accessible locations. And I'm afraid it took me four months to learn from my mistakes. And I'm grateful I was minimalistic on purchases for her winter clothing as she pretty much didn't wear them. Oh, yes, except during the Thanksgiving holiday. ;)

Anyway, here are the goods. I realized while typing this that I should have shared the, excuse me, good news. I'll have to do better at that in the future! And, yes, I have purchased a variety of sizes of some dresses because with her build I wasn't 100% certain how they'd fit her. Good thing about buying big is she can wear them next year. Or of course I can always return them. And, yes, I just realized she won't fit those tights for 8 years--Girls Lg, not Little Girls Lg--but oh, well....my mistake. I'm allowed those at time, right? Okay, so frequently? Maybe they'll fit me....or, again, I could return them. Their tights are just such amazing quality (at least the pair we bought at Christmas time for a good deal--ok, so it was still a splurge, but I wanted something stronger than your cheapy everyday tights that look trashed after the first wearing) that I couldn't pass them up. And, seriously, how likely is it that she won't wear ivory? Oh, and the backpack and lunch bag are splurges. I could find a backpack a few dollars cheaper elsewhere. The lunch bag....well, I'd spend that much over a year or two on brown paper bags, right? So, why not? (It's insulated, the inner liner is removable for easy cleaning, and it clips to the backpack with an included carabiner. Cool, huh. Back to my vanities....) I'll save the backpack and lunch bag for a "You get to go to Kindergarten!" gift.

I can't wait to see her grin....

SHIPPED
Girls' Plus Microfiber Tights
Item # 1662406Q8 $2.22
Size Large Qty 1
Color Ivory

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Short Sleeve Stripe Heritage T-shirt
Item # 3906256Q4 $3.72
Size Medium Qty 1
Color Coral Blush Stripe

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Short Sleeve Stripe Heritage T-shirt
Item # 3906256Q4 $3.72
Size Medium Qty 1
Color Purple Sky Stripe

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Long Sleeve Shirred T-shirt
Item # 3922216Q9 $3.72
Size Medium Qty 1
Color Teaberry Multi Stripe

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Long Sleeve Shirred T-shirt
Item # 3922216Q9 $3.72
Size Medium Qty 1
Color Classic Navy Multi Stripe

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Long Sleeve Jersey Dress
Item # 3923526Q7 $7.47
Size 5 Qty 1
Color Pink Bloom

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Shirred Ruffle Dress
Item # 3924466Q4 $8.22
Size 6 Qty 1
Color Dark Chocolate

SHIPPED
Girls' ClassMate® Lunch Sack
Item # 3948106Q0 $5.97
Qty 1
Color Pink Bloom

SHIPPED
Girls' Solid ClassMate® SmallHaul Backpack
Item # 3948436Q5 $14.97
Qty 1
Color Light Pink

SHIPPED
Little Girls' Long Sleeve Twisted Neck Dress
Item # 397404WC0 $5.99
Size 6X Qty 1
Color Loganberry

SHIPPED
Girls' Long Sleeve Twisted Neck Dress
Item # 397405WC5 $5.99
Size 7 Qty 1
Color Raspberry

Where are the boy clothes? A neighbor gave us a huge bin of the cutest name brand 2t-3t clothes. (Although I should review which seasons there were....) And I got a bin of infant-5t from a friend moving out of state. And I got two or three bags of 18mo to 3t from my sis-in-law. And a friend loaned us Sunday outfits 18mo-2t. (Oh, yes, Lil'S started fitting 18mo. clothes at ....9mo? Gratefully, his growth has plateaued!) God is kind.

....and certainly even kinder than I thought. We could use these items as leverage if H has a hard time adjusting to her eye treatments. NICE. One dress for each week of cooperation. Looks like I'd better make sure she doesn't see the package arrive, huh!

Although, I have to admit I'm feeling a little guilty now for spending money on clothes when there have been so many natural disasters lately.....not to mention unmet needs everywhere you look. My daughter does need to be clothed, however. Someday things will be more fair......